The annual World Egg Throwing Championships got underway at Swaton near Sleaford.

This year international competitors came from even farther afield including Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

And one egg catcher proved that no sacrifice is too big for the very serious eggthletes. New Zealand national champion Nick Holstein couldn’t give up his dream of taking part in the World Championships so when he couldn’t get time off work, he even gave up his job as a lawyer so that he could travel half way around the world to Lincolnshire for the big event. Fortunately he has since secured a new position and is due to start a new job on his return to his homeland.

One of the competitors in the World Egg Throwing Championships ends up with egg on his face (Image: Anna Draper)

Nick and fellow New Zealand team mate Robbie Hollander became national champions back in March beating Olympic athlete Dame Valerie Adams. The finals were held the Australia V New Zealand Rural Games where disciplines include wood chopping and sheep shearing.

Finalists in the egg throw and catch. Proud father and son team Eddie and Jim Shore (Image: Anna Draper)

Nick said that they were thrilled to be representing New Zealand in the World Egg Throwing Championships but added: “I am a bit nervous because there’s our national pride at stake here – and also we’ve been told that we better win or don’t bother coming home.”

But it turning out there was nothing to worry about as New Zealand took the World Record with an 81.00m throw and catch.

Such was the support for the pair in New Zealand that their trip to England was paid for by a travel company.

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Boston Grammar School pupils Francis Neary and Ollie Talbot both 12, were celebrating becoming World Champions in the junior egg throwing and catching competition. The pair were thrilled with their achievement Ollie said: “It is pretty amazing.”

Vice president of the World Egg Throwing Federation John Deptford said: “We have had another successful year with more international competitors than ever. Having all these new competitors is raising the level. Our home grown entrants mostly take part in a typically British way – very enthusiastic but pretty rubbish.”

Lincolnshire's own world champs - winners of the junior throw and catch Francis Neary and Ollie Talbot from Boston (Image: Anna Draper)

In line with other world class sporting events, Mr Deptford admitted that the federation were getting tough on the use of performance enhancing substances: “We reserve the right to carry out random drug testing if we feel it necessary.” He added: “Substances served in the beer tent are permitted and some competitors find that it enhances their performance, others not so.”